WASHINGTON — In his new role as chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye says he will focus on speeding up legislative work, especially during this economic slowdown.

Inouye has already announced he will seek re-election in 2010 to another six-year term. In an interview with The Advertiser last week, the senator said that before he decided to run again, he got a physical exam, which showed his blood pressure to be 130 over 70 and his pulse rate at 62 — both good readings for a man of 84.

Except for a bum knee, Inouye said, he was "pretty sure" that he was in better condition than the average guy.

The senator declined to say who he believed were the leading candidates to take his seat when he does leave office.

Inouye has long held a reputation for effectively pursuing Hawai'i's interests in Washington. And he said that even with his new responsibilities as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the state's priorities will not be forgotten.

"Legislatively, I think Hawai'i should do all right," he said.

As chairman, he said, he plans to push for more cooperation among Democrats and Republicans on the committee, which decides how hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are spent annually to keep the federal government operating.

"I'm hoping that by using a bipartisan approach, we will be able to accelerate the process," said Inouye, who was selected in November to become chairman.

A faster process would allow senators on the dozen appropriations subcommittees to consider and approve individual appropriations bills and move them through the legislative system instead of lumping them together in an omnibus bill, he said.

Omnibus bills don't allow much input from rank-and-file committee members. "I don't think that is the way we should handle it," Inouye said.

He said there was a moment in the selection process for a successor to Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., when he considered staying as chairman of the Commerce Committee because of its legislative accomplishments.

"During the past two years ... we considered and passed 34 bills (that) passed the Senate," Inouye said. "It's a record that has never been surpassed."

Inouye, the third-longest-serving incumbent senator, said he had not aspired to the appropriations chair since Byrd, 91, had held it so long when Democrats were in power.

"After awhile, you think that certain people will never leave, and I never pictured Bob Byrd getting old," he said. "But Chairman Byrd somehow felt the load was getting heavy, and he asked me to take over."

Inouye is also chairman of the appropriations defense subcommittee and remains a member of the Commerce, the Indian Affairs and Senate Rules committees.

The senator said his priorities this year are stimulating the economy and completing the appropriations process for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

"After that, we have to think about supplemental appropriations for the war, because the war is still on, and then during this period, we will be receiving the president's 2010 budget request," he said.

Inouye has been the target of watchdog groups due to his success in earmarking federal money for special projects in Hawai'i.

The senator and Rep. David Obey, R-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, announced changes this month to make the earmark process more transparent.

Earmarks have come under greater scrutiny after high-profile corruption scandals and because of criticism that they are wasteful federal spending.

The changes will require: